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Russian football fan detained in Cologne gets suspended prison term

A court in Cologne has sentenced a Russian football fan to ten months in prison for brawl

BERLIN, August 17. /TASS/. A court in Cologne has sentenced a Russian football fan to ten months in prison for brawl. The man was detained last June. The sentence has been suspended, a court official has told TASS.

"He was found guilty of inflicting bodily injuries by a group of persons," the court’s press-service said.

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The man was detained alongside four other Russian fans in Cologne on June 16 after a quarrel with tourists from Spain. He claimed he had not taken part in the fight and the court agreed to try him separately. The four other trouble-makers received suspended sentences late last July.

"Nevertheless, on the basis of eye-witness accounts the court arrived at the conclusion that the man did participate in the fight," the official said, adding that the Russian was free to leave the country.

According to the prosecutor’s office the fight started after Spanish tourists displayed anti-Nazi symbols. This explains why the prosecution interpreted the incident as politically motivated. One of the plaintiffs had his nose broken.

The fans had arrived in Cologne on the way from the European Football Cup finals in France. They carried canceled tickets to the match Russia-England.

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